Videos

Quality Counts: Measuring What Matters in Early Learning for Accountability and Quality Improvement, with Michal Perlman, Ph.D., Professor, Atkinson Chair of Child Development and Education Dept of Human Development and Applied Psychology, OISE, University of Toronto.

These two research-informed sessions will explore how the best available evidence can guide the definition, measurement, and use of quality indicators in early childhood education and implementation considerations. Participants will examine practical approaches to using data for accountability, strategic planning, continuous quality improvement, and informed investment in early learning systems.

Part 1 of the series looks at "Measuring What Matters"

At a time when many before- and after-school programs are closing, WRDSB has taken a different approach: expanding access through school board–operated programs.

Before- and after-school care is available in all WRDSB schools for children from junior kindergarten to Grade 6. The Board directly operates extended-day child care in 75 of its 104 elementary schools, employing 330 unionized, full-time Early Childhood Educators and serving approximately 4,200 children.

The initiative started over 15 years ago as a partnership between the Region of Waterloo, the WRDSB, and the Waterloo Catholic District School Board. The WRDSB continues to expand the model despite a significant province-wide shortage of early childhood educators, demonstrating how effective system design can support both access and workforce stability.

Part 2 of the series provides a focus on implementation considerations for communities interested in adopting a similar approach.

At a time when many before- and after-school programs are closing, WRDSB has taken a different approach: expanding access through school board–operated programs.

Before- and after-school care is available in all WRDSB schools for children from junior kindergarten to Grade 6. The Board directly operates extended-day child care in 75 of its 104 elementary schools, employing 330 unionized, full-time Early Childhood Educators and serving approximately 4,200 children.

The initiative started over 15 years ago as a partnership between the Region of Waterloo, the WRDSB, and the Waterloo Catholic District School Board. The WRDSB continues to expand the model despite a significant province-wide shortage of early childhood educators, demonstrating how effective system design can support both access and workforce stability.

Part 1 of the series provides an overview of the Waterloo model and its outcomes.

This video highlights the seamless model used in Waterloo, where before- and after-school care is closely aligned with the core school day to create a consistent experience for children. By reducing transitions and supporting continuity across the day, children remain in familiar environments with trusted educators and peers. This approach helps create stable, responsive learning spaces that support all children while also making the day easier to navigate for families.

Extended Day Programs play a vital role in supporting children, families, and educators across the Waterloo Region District School Board. This video highlights how high-quality extended day programming contributes to children’s learning, wellbeing, and sense of belonging, while also supporting families with flexible, reliable care that aligns with the school day. The video also explores the benefits for educators, including opportunities to build strong relationships with children and families, support continuity of learning, and work within a stable, community-based setting. Together, these programs strengthen school communities and contribute to a more responsive, inclusive early learning and child care system. Learn how Extended Day Programs help create positive outcomes for children, families, and the educators who support them every day.

Strong Extended Day Programs are built on strong partnerships. This video explores how collaboration between the Region of Waterloo, the Waterloo Region District School Board, and early learning and child care partners created a shared approach to planning, delivering, and sustaining Extended Day Programs. By aligning roles, responsibilities, and priorities, partners worked together to ensure programs are responsive to community needs, support children’s learning and wellbeing, and provide consistency for families. The video highlights how ongoing communication, shared problem-solving, and trust between system partners have been essential to navigating implementation and strengthening program quality. This partnership model demonstrates how coordinated governance and collaboration across education and child care systems can lead to more effective, accountable, and sustainable programs for children, families, and educators.

In this virtual session with Dr. David Philpott, part of our Beyond the Podcast series, we explore the vital role of inclusion in early childhood programs. Dr. Philpott discusses the importance of the environment as the “third teacher” and how children learn with, from, and about one another—where diversity itself becomes the curriculum.

This session also highlights what makes strong public policy to ensure that all children have the opportunity to reach their full potential.

Every child deserves the best possible start. Expanding public education to include 4-year-olds through universal junior kindergarten is not just an investment in early learning, it’s an investment in equity, families, and our collective future. By ensuring access for all, we can close gaps before they widen, strengthen communities, and give every child the foundation they need to thrive.

In this virtual session Shailja Jain, Professor & Coordinator, School of Early Childhood, George Brown College, explores practical strategies and inclusive practices to support gender diversity and 2SLGBTQ+ inclusion in early childhood settings.

Renowned child psychiatrist Dr. Jean Clinton builds on the insights she shared in the Bright Beginnings podcast series to explore the vital role of high-quality early childhood education in supporting children’s development. Dr. Clinton discussed why a well-trained and compensated workforce is essential to delivering quality and how investing in educators benefits children, families, and society.

On June 3 we joined Veroushka Coronel (Professor and Field Liaison, George Brown College) and Hilary Bartlett (Learn Through Active Play) for an engaging discussion as we took a deeper dive into the value of risky and outdoor play in early learning environments. This webinar explored the developmental and well-being benefits of outdoor play for both children and educators, clarified the role of "risk" in early years programs, and highlighted practical strategies and professional learning opportunities to enhance implementation in child care settings.

A Better Together Podcast Series

Bright Beginnings: Insights into Early Childhood Education is a podcast series that explores key issues, innovations, and lived experiences shaping the early learning and child care sector in Canada. Across eight English-language episodes—and a ninth French-language episode in development—expert guests, including educators, researchers, and sector leaders, discuss topics ranging from the benefits of ECE for children, families, and society, to gender diversity, inclusion, and how the ECE system works in Ontario and beyond.

Each episode is accompanied by transcriptions and French translations, as well as supporting modules that include resources and reflective questions—making the series a valuable tool for learners, educators, and advocates alike. Bright Beginnings is both an accessible entry point and a deeper dive into the vital role of early childhood education in creating a more equitable future.